Side bearing for cars.



Patented oct. 3, |899.

S. P. BUSH.

SIDE BEARING FOR CARS.

(Application led Mar. 6, 1899.).

(No Model.)

s Mmmm X INVENTOR w ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SAMUEL P. BUSH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SIDE BEARING FoR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 634,323, dated October 3, 1899.

Application inea Mulch e, 1899.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. BUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Side Bearings for Cars, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of side bearings for railway-cars; and the objects of my invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective side-bearing construction of such form and arran gem ent as to greatly reduce the friction between the bearing parts, to so construct said bearing as to facilitate the turning of the truck about its center,.to provide in conjunction with my improved side bearing means for preventing a vibratory or hammering action of the same against its support, and to produce other improvements the details and construction of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These Objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of my device, the same being taken on line c x of Fig. 3. Fig. 1A is a similar View showing a modified form of the lower bearing. Fig. 1B is a second modification of the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view at right angles with that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a'plan view.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views;

1 represents the usual or any desirable form or construction of top side bearing plate which is connected with the car-body or bodybolster in the usual manner.

2 represents a boxing or casing, the upper l-aterally-projecting portions of which are secured to 'and supported by the usual truckbolster, portions of which are indicated at 3. The casing or boxing 2 is provided with a transverse channel portion 4, in the central portion of which is formed a vertical mortise o r slotted opening 5, thus providing an approximate separation of the casing-body into two oppositely-located compartments or sections, from each of which depends a vertical arm portion 6, the lower ends of these oppositelylocated casing-arms being connected by a transverse pin 7. With the iioor or upper surface of the bottom portion of each of the seria nner/,877. (No muda.)

casing-seats or compartments produced as above described I form a central rounded longitudinal projection S, upon each of which is adapted to bear the correspondinglygrooved under side of a bearing-block 9. As indicated more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the upper surface of each of these blocks is preferably slightly inclined from its outer side toward the center thereof.

10 represents a shaft which carries on its central portion the cylindrical hub 11 of a wheel-segment 12, the latter being preferably provided with a comparatively broad segmental rim 13. With the hub 11 I form two weight or counterbalance arms 14, which project from said hub on that side which is diametricallyopposite the segment or yoke. As shown in the drawings, the extensions of the shaft 10 or those portions thereof which project beyond the sides of the hub 11 are adapted to bear, respectively, upon the blocks 9, the weight or counterbalance arms 14 being adapted to depend, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, between the arms 6 of the casing. As indicated at 15, the body which comprises the hub, Wheel-segment, and weight-arms is connected with the depending arm of the casing 7 through the medium of a coiled spring. This I preferably accomplish by connecting the upper end of said spring with a transverse pin 16, which extends between the weightarms 14 adjacent to the hub 11the lower end of said spring being connected with the crosspin 7.

As indicated in thedrawings, my improved truck-bolster bearing is normally supported in a vertical position-that is, with the bearing portions of its shaft 10 resting on the central portions of the Ablocks 9, in which position the u-pwardly-extending segment 12 has its outer surface or periphery located at a desirable distance below the top side-bearing plate 1. In this position said segment-surface is adapted to contact with the plate 1 when the car with which said plate is connected is subjected to the lateral tip which ordinarily occurs from the passage of a car over a track curve. The bearing and frictional contact thus produced must result, as will readily be seen, in a rotary or rolling movement of the shaft extensions 10 upon the IOO inclined surfaces of the blocks 0 and in the direction in which the car is moving. It will be observed that owing to the curvature of the segment bearing-ring the area of contact between the plate and side segment will at all times be compara-tively small and the friction between said parts will be practically reduced to the minimum. In the swinging or tipping action of the weighted segment it is obvious that the increase in distance between the pins 1G and 7 must result in imparting a greater tension to the springr 15 and that this increased spring tension will serve to insure the return of the shaft and segment to their normal positions when the contact between the plate and segment is discontinued. It will be observed, however, that the ordinary tension of the spring 15 will greatly aid in normally retaining the lower bearing in the vertical position shown, and by exerting a sudden downward pull on the shaft 10 said spring will also serve to hold said shaft in direct contact with the surfaces of the blocksv f), thereby preventing any tendency of the bearing portions of said shaft toward exerting a hammering or vibratory action on said blocks. It will readilybe seen, however, that, if desired, the spring may be omitted from the construction and the weight-arms thus made to serve the purpose of returning the segmentto its normal position. It is also evident that the upper surfaces of the blocks f) may be formed without the incline herein shown and described, said inclinations being preferably employed, however, to obviate any tendency of the bearing portions of the shaft toward sliding instead of rolling to their normal positions. By the formation of the bearing-blocks 9 with longitudinal grooves which receive the casing projections S it will be observed that means are provided whereby said bearing-blocks may be allowed a desirable degree of lateral movement and whereby undesirable longitudinal tipping or rocking Inovement is prevented.

In Figs. 1^ and 1B I have shown modified constructions of the lower bearing. In the first of these constructions the segment 12 is omitted and a shaft or roller 10 is adapted both to contact with the upper bearing-plate and to have a rolling or rotary bearing on the blocks 9. It is obvious that this construction in addition to being more simple than that illustrated in Fig. 1 would be exceedingly convenient and desirable in cases where the distance between the truck and car-body is not suiiicient to conveniently admit of the use of the segmental projection. It is also evident that this construction would serve approximately all the purposes of the construction illustrated in said Fig. 1.

The modification shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings is substantially the same as that indicated in Fig. 1, with the exception that the upwardly-projecting portion of the bearing which is indicated at 10b is of a solid form instead of the open wheel-segment form.

It will readily be seen that the purpose of the spring 15, which is illustrated and dcscribed herein, is to retain the lower bearingsection in its proper vertical position and prevent its vibration while in such position, and while I have shown and described a definitely-located spring for this purpose it is obvious that any other spring-actuated construction of the bearing producing the same result might be employed. Forinstanee, in stead of actuating the lower bearing-section by a spring it is obvious that the upper or top side-bearing plate might by any wellknown means be retained in spring contact with the bearing-surface of the lower bearing-section, thereby attaining substantially the same result.

From the construction herein shown and described it will not only be seen that a simple, durable, and effective side bearing is provided, but that the construction and operation of the saine is such as to greatly reduce the friction and wear between the upper and lower bearing-sections and prevent undesirable noise.

IIaving now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a top side-bearin g plate and a truckbearing frame or casing, of a bearing-body having a rolling or rotary support in said casing and weight extensions depending therefrom, substantially as specified.

2. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a top side-bearing plate and a truckbearing frame or casing, of a bearing-body having a rolling or rotary support in said casing and a spring normally retaining said bearing-body in contact with its supporting-surface, substantially as specified.

3. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a top side-bearin g plate and the truckbearing frame or casing, of a shaft or roller having a rolling support in said casing and a wheel-segment carried by said shaft and adapted to contact with and form a bearing for said top side-bearing plate, substantially as specified.

4. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a top side-bearing plate adapted to be supported from a car-bodyand a frame or Casin g supported from a truck,and oppositelylocated bearing-blocks 9 supported in said casing, of a shaft or roller having a rolling support on said blocks and a wheel-segment carried on said shaft and adapted to contact with said top side plate, substantially as specified.

5. In a side bearing for ears, the combination with a top side-bearing plate adapted to be supported from a car-body and a frame or casing supported from a truck, said casing having floor projections 8 and oppositely-located bearing blocks 9 having under side longitudinal grooves which receive said casing iloor projections, of a bearing-body hav- IOO IIO

ing` a rolling or rotary support on said blocks and adapted to Contact with said top side plate, substantially as specified.

6. In a side bearing for cars, the eonubina-r tion with a top sidebearing plate supported from a ear-body and a frame or easing supported on the trucks, of a shaft having a rolling support in said truck-easing, a wheelsegment and oppositely-looated Weight-arms on said shaft, substantially as specified.

'7. In a side bearing for ears, the combination With a top side-bearing plate suitabl7 supported from a ear, and a easing or frame supported from a truck-bolster, said easing having a downward extension, of a shaft having a rolling support in said easing, a wheelsegrnent carried on said shaft and a spring connecting th e same with the downward eXtension of said easing, substantially as specified.

8. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a top side-bearing plate suitably supported from a ear, a frame or casing supported from a truck and having downward extensions, of a shaft having a rolling support in said frame-casing, a Wheel-segment and oppositely-looated weight-arms carried on said shaft, and a spring connecting the body mounted on said shaft with the lower portions of said frame extensions, substantially as specified.

SAMUEL P. BUSH. In presence of-- A. L. PHELPS, W. L. MoRRoW. 

